Armed men, believed to be a Russian soldiers, stand near a Ukrainian military base in Perevalnoye, near the Crimean city of Simferopol, on Saturday, March 15, 2014.

On the eve of Crimea's referendum vote to join Russia, a cossack stands guard in front of parliament in the Crimean city of Simferopol.

A young girl holds her father's hand during a pro-Russia rally in Lenin Square in the Crimean city of Simferopol.

A woman and child walk by an armored vehicle in front of a Ukrainian military base in Perevalnoye.

A resident of Ukraine's Crimea burns an invitation to vote in protest of Sunday's referendum vote in Simferopol, Ukraine.

Muniver Umerova, 75, of Krasnogvardeyskoye, a Crimean Tatar, was 6-years-old when she like many other Tatars were forced out of Crimea and into exile in Uzbekistan by Joseph Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union. It wasn't until 1990 that she finally returned to her homeland of Crimea. Speaking of the current situation in Crimea, Umerova says, "I grieve very much. I'm very saddened by this because with these Russians we didn't have any childhood, and now I can't finish my days in peace."

A man beats his chest and screams as he joins nearly 2,000 pro-Ukraine demonstrators along a road in Krasnogvardeyskoye, Crimea. Many chanted "Crimea is not Russian, Crimea is Ukranian," as cars and trucks drove by honking their horns in support.

Armed men, believed to be a Russian serviceman, stand guard outside a Ukrainian military base in Perevalnoye, near the Crimean city of Simferopol, where Ukrainian soldiers are besieged inside.

A man peers out of his train car at the train station in Simferopol. Some people have fled Crimea for fear of violence during the referendum vote to join Russia.

Elvera Umerova, left, and her mother, Muniver Umerova, center, watch Crimean Prime Minister Sergei Aksyonov on a Tatar television station, with friend, Zrema Nasibulayeva, right, in their Krasnogvardeyskoye home in the Crimean peninsula.

A woman chants as she stands along nearly 2,000 pro-Ukraine demonstrators who gathered along a road in Krasnogvardeyskoye.

At a Ukrainian military base in Perevalnoye, armed men, believed to be a Russian soldiers, walk along a road outside of the base where Ukrainian soldiers are besieged inside.

Refat Umerov, 56, of Krasnogvardeyskoye, a Crimean Tatar, was born in exile in Uzbekistan, and now fears what could come for Tatars in Crimea.

A man waves a flag as he joins a pro-Russia rally in Lenin Square in Simferopol on the eve of Crimea's referendum vote to join Russia.

A man walks by a billboard in Simferopol, Ukraine as voting on the referendum began to either join Russia or become an effectively independent state connected to Ukraine.

Elvera Umerova, 56, a Crimean Tatar, looks out from a porch at her home in Krasnogvardeyskoye.

A man holds his daughter on his shoulders during a pro-Russia rally in Lenin Square in the Crimean city of Simferopol.

Oksana Rasskalova, 43, an artist who paints along a promenade next to the Black Sea in Yalta, a Russian by birth, believes that the outcome of Crimea's referendum vote is predictable, and that Crimea will become part of Russia.

Refat Umerov, 56, a Crimean Tatar, sits at his table with his mother, Muniver Umerova, 75, left, at his home in Krasnogvardeyskoye.

Oleg Ignatyev, 42, an artist and jeweler, supports the referendum in Crimea to join with Russia. "We have the same spirit as the Russians," he said.

As the referendum vote date nears, some 2,000 pro-Ukraine demonstrators stand along a road in Krasnogvardeyskoye in the Crimean peninsula.

Cossacks stand guard in front of parliament in the Crimean city of Simferopol.

A cossack stands guard in front of parliament where the Russian flag already hangs in the Crimean city of Simferopol.

While many in Ukraine's Crimean peninsula try to live life as close to normal as possible, much uncertainty remains about what is to come after the March 16th referendum vote.

Tamara Ushachova, 30, sits near her boyfriend, Vladimir Pikush, 42, in the shop she owns in Simferopol, Ukraine. Ushachova, who boycotted the referendum vote in Crimea, fears losing freedoms if Crimea becomes part of Russia.

A police officer standing watch is silhouetted as some 2,000 pro-Ukraine demonstrators line a road.

People watch as singers perform on stage during a pro-Russia rally in Lenin Square in Simferopol.

A car waving Ukraine's flag, drives along a Crimean peninsula road.

Armed men, believed to be a Russian serviceman, stand beneath a Russian flag, outside of a Ukrainian military base in Perevalnoye.

Pro-Russia posters hang on a tent near parliament in the Crimean city of Simferopol showing the benefits of Russia as compared to Crimea and Ukraine for gas prices, salaries and other items.

A woman weeps with joy during a pro-Russia rally in Lenin Square in Simferopol on the eve of Crimea's referendum vote.

Pro-Russia supporters rally, on the eve of Crimea's vote to join Russia, in Lenin Square, Simferopol.

A man throws a dove into the air during a pro-Russia rally.

A bride and groom stop at a pro-Russia rally in Lenin Square in Simferopol. The bride yelled out, "Make love not war," as she walked away after posing for several photographs.

Lena Andrievscay, 25, who works in a cultural center, fears what may happen to her job after Sunday's referendum vote in Crimea. Andrievscay voted early Sunday, choosing option 2 on the ballot: to stay with Ukraine but become an independent state, but with much more autonomy.

Residents of Ukraine's Crimea line up to vote in referendum vote to join Russia in Simferopol, Ukraine.

A man stands watch over the two ballot boxes at a polling location.

A woman drops her ballot into a box after voting in Crimea's referendum vote.

Votes in Crimea's referendum pile up in the bottom of a ballot box on Sunday in Simferopol, Ukraine.

A man dances in the street in celebration of Crimea's referendum vote and expected joining with Russia in Simferopol, Ukraine.

Women sing old Soviet songs on a street corner as people gather to celebrate the expected results of Crimea's referendum vote.

A cossack in Simferopol, Ukraine wears a pin with the Order of St. George ribbon, established by Russia's Catherine the Great in 1769; the colors symbolize fire and gunpowder.

People celebrate Crimea's referendum vote to join with Russia in Lenin Square in Simferopol, Ukraine.

People celebrate Crimea's referendum vote to join with Russia.

A man walks down a street carrying a Russian flag after Crimea's referendum vote to join with Russia.

Men tie the Russian flag around their shoulders as they walk around Simferopol, Ukraine on the night of the referendum vote to join with Russia.